<p>Thiruvananthapuram: Even as the ruling CPI(M) in Kerala has been dilly dallying on its stand on <a href="https://www.deccanherald.com/tags/sabarimala">Sabarimala</a> Ayyappa temple women entry, the party seems to have taken a firm stand against the temple 'tanrti' (traditional main priest) Kandararu Rajeevaru accused in the gold row.</p><p>Despite a court granting bail to him last week citing that there was not even an iota of evidence against him and the Congress and BJP cashing in on it politically, the CPI(M) has taken a firm stand against the 'tanrti'.</p>.CPI(M) leader terms Sabarimala tantri a 'master thief'.<p>After CPI(M) state secretary M V Govindan termed the tantri as a 'master thief' on Sunday, party's ministers reiterated the stand against the tantri in the Assembly on Monday after the opposition Congress-led United Democratic Front (UDF) continued to disrupt the house over the issue.</p><p>Parliamentary affairs minister M B Rajesh said that the tantri had no additional privileges than the others accused in the case. He also criticised that the BJP and UDF have joined hands to support the tantri.</p><p>Rajesh said that the Congress was backing the tantri as the involvement of Congress leaders, who were former office bearers of the Travancore Devaswom Board, in illegally handing over the 'Vaji Vahan' (deity's vehicle- horse idol) of the old flagpole of the temple, to the tantri came to light.</p><p>The CPI(M) seems to be provoked after the tanrti said in the bail application that he was arrested to take revenge for opposing attempts by some police officials at the behest of the the LDF government to allow entry of women in the 10-50 age group to the temple in 2018. </p><p>Rajeevaru had then maintained that if women in the 10-50 age group entered the temple he would close the temple.</p><p>The Congress and BJP were alleging that the SIT arrested Rajeevaru without any evidence in order to divert attention from the involvement of former devaswom minister Kadakampally Surendran and incumbent minister V N Vasavan.</p><p>The SIT is learnt to be planning to file appeal against the bail to the tantri by producing evidence linking him with the gold heist. </p><p>Meanwhile, proceedings of the Assembly were disrupted after opposition MLAs trooped to the well of the house shouting slogans demanding the devaswom minister's resignation. </p><p>Congress legislature party deputy leader K Babu said that tantri was put in jail for 40 days without any evidence in order to take revenge for opposing women entry. He also accused the government of taking a dubious stand on the women entry issue. He also pointed out the irregularities in the conduct of the Global Ayyappa Sangamam.</p><p>The initial days of the session were also disrupted with the opposition's protest over the Sabarimala gold heist issue.</p>
<p>Thiruvananthapuram: Even as the ruling CPI(M) in Kerala has been dilly dallying on its stand on <a href="https://www.deccanherald.com/tags/sabarimala">Sabarimala</a> Ayyappa temple women entry, the party seems to have taken a firm stand against the temple 'tanrti' (traditional main priest) Kandararu Rajeevaru accused in the gold row.</p><p>Despite a court granting bail to him last week citing that there was not even an iota of evidence against him and the Congress and BJP cashing in on it politically, the CPI(M) has taken a firm stand against the 'tanrti'.</p>.CPI(M) leader terms Sabarimala tantri a 'master thief'.<p>After CPI(M) state secretary M V Govindan termed the tantri as a 'master thief' on Sunday, party's ministers reiterated the stand against the tantri in the Assembly on Monday after the opposition Congress-led United Democratic Front (UDF) continued to disrupt the house over the issue.</p><p>Parliamentary affairs minister M B Rajesh said that the tantri had no additional privileges than the others accused in the case. He also criticised that the BJP and UDF have joined hands to support the tantri.</p><p>Rajesh said that the Congress was backing the tantri as the involvement of Congress leaders, who were former office bearers of the Travancore Devaswom Board, in illegally handing over the 'Vaji Vahan' (deity's vehicle- horse idol) of the old flagpole of the temple, to the tantri came to light.</p><p>The CPI(M) seems to be provoked after the tanrti said in the bail application that he was arrested to take revenge for opposing attempts by some police officials at the behest of the the LDF government to allow entry of women in the 10-50 age group to the temple in 2018. </p><p>Rajeevaru had then maintained that if women in the 10-50 age group entered the temple he would close the temple.</p><p>The Congress and BJP were alleging that the SIT arrested Rajeevaru without any evidence in order to divert attention from the involvement of former devaswom minister Kadakampally Surendran and incumbent minister V N Vasavan.</p><p>The SIT is learnt to be planning to file appeal against the bail to the tantri by producing evidence linking him with the gold heist. </p><p>Meanwhile, proceedings of the Assembly were disrupted after opposition MLAs trooped to the well of the house shouting slogans demanding the devaswom minister's resignation. </p><p>Congress legislature party deputy leader K Babu said that tantri was put in jail for 40 days without any evidence in order to take revenge for opposing women entry. He also accused the government of taking a dubious stand on the women entry issue. He also pointed out the irregularities in the conduct of the Global Ayyappa Sangamam.</p><p>The initial days of the session were also disrupted with the opposition's protest over the Sabarimala gold heist issue.</p>